War? 25 Red States Rally 'Round Texas As Battle Brews With Biden Over Border
A coalition of red states has rallied around Texas, after Governor Greg Abbott invoked the state's constitutional right to self-defense due to the migrant crisis, which he deemed an 'invasion.'
The Biden Administration has truly abdicated its responsibility to enforce the immigration laws on the books.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 25, 2024
Texas has a constitutional right to defend and protect itself.
We will continue to hold the line. pic.twitter.com/LFrTq2MoVY
As End Wokeness notes, a coalition of 25 Republican governors have signed a joint letter in support of the Texas resistance.
Here is the joint letter with 25 governors supporting the Texas Border Resistance against our rogue federal government.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 25, 2024
Republican Governors Association link: https://t.co/CPfSLrzGEA pic.twitter.com/w2PDWYjpZd
Wow
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 25, 2024
The support began on Wednesday, with Governor Kevin Stitt tweeting: "Oklahoma stands with Texas."
Oklahoma stands with Texas. https://t.co/67VzVEfEv1
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) January 24, 2024
"TX is upholding the law while Biden is flouting it," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
If the Constitution really made states powerless to defend themselves against an invasion, it wouldn’t have been ratified in the first place and Texas would have never joined the union when it did.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 24, 2024
TX is upholding the law while Biden is flouting it.
FL will keep assisting… https://t.co/qOJY2zT1hG
BREAKING: Trump calls for all willing state governors to deploy their national guards to Texas and to remove the illegals back across the border pic.twitter.com/uM4RJ0z5Ug
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 25, 2024
And of course, the optics couldn't be worse for the Biden administration - which is now faced with the prospect of going to war with Texas, during an election year, to keep the border open.
And Wall Street Silver pointed out on X, Texas is authorized to engage in war if being invaded according to Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the Constitution.
Texas is authorized to engage in War.
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) January 25, 2024
Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 ... which Texas Gov Greg Abbott cited in his statement today. pic.twitter.com/RAPvIEGPmw
Though as X user blueapples points out, Abbott cited the dissenting (losing) position in Arizona v. United States which determined that federal law overrides state laws when it comes to regulating those who are unlawfully present in the US, except when it comes to a state's right to require officers to verify the citizenship or alien status of detained migrants.
Abbott might want to cite another SCOTUS case considering Arizona v. US set the precedent that states laws can't preempt federal laws when it comes to immigration.
— blueapples (@ashesofacacia) January 24, 2024
I get he's citing the dissent but it's a dissent because the ruling didn't affirm that position.
Regardless, Abbott has drawn a line in the sand - and whatever litigation may play out in the courts is secondary to the fact that this is happening now.
As journalist Matt Walsh notes, "Abbott has Biden over a barrel here."
"What is Biden going to do? Send the military in to forcibly open the border? In an election year?"
Abbott has Biden over a barrel here. What is Biden going to do? Send the military in to forcibly open the border? In an election year? I'm sure he'd like to, and would if he could get away with it, but it would turn the vast majority of the country against him (those who aren't… https://t.co/8gIFWzzEiE
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 24, 2024
So is it the case that @TheDemocrats are truly ready to go to war with Texas?
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 25, 2024
(h/t Geller Report)
Meanwhile in Washington, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told fellow Republicans in a private meeting on Ukraine that time and the political will to pass a bipartisan immigration and border security compromise is running out, Punchbowl News reports.
According to the outlet:
McConnell told GOP senators that before border security talks began, immigration policy united Republicans and Ukraine aid divided them. “Politics on this have changed,” McConnell said of solving the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. That’s because former President Donald Trump wants to run his 2024 campaign focusing on immigration.
"We don’t want to do anything to undermine him," McConnell said of Trump - effectively backing away from the 'border-security-for-Ukraine' construct that Republicans have been clinging to the last few months.